(1) Phillip,Pryce (1624) - Wilkinson,Ian (1780) [E80]

President's Invitational, NMLS (7.3)

[Wilkinson, I]

A FUTURE MASTER ON SHOW. It was the seventh round of the 2005 edition of the President Invitational tournament and I was facing the blossoming Phillip-George Pryce, one of Jamaica's brightest prospects to become a master. I was already impressed with Pryce as a pre-teen when I played with him in the 2002 World Open tournament in Philadelphia, USA. After witnessing Pryce's dismantling of the exsperienced "Ninja" Mark Bowen with the white pieces in the third round of the current tournament in a Queen's Indian Defence, it was even more obvious that the teenager was not to be taken for granted. I figured that he would push his queen's pawn two squares and had decided to play the King's Indian Defence. 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 The Samisch Variation of the KID. Pryce, trained by one of Jamaica's leading players National Master Russel Porter, an "expert" on the KID, must have prepared this continuation with his coach's blessing. 5...Nbd7!?

Diagram 1

The young "beast from Baku" en route to the world championship final castled immediately and won after 5...0–0 6.Be3 a6 7.Bd3 c5 8.dxc5 dxc5 9.Bxc5 Nc6 10. Nge2 Nd7 11.Bf2 Nde5 12.Nc1 Bh6 0–1 (47), Beliavsky, A - Kasparov, G, Candidates qf2, 1983. Similarly, the world's highest-ever rated player reaped the harvest with 5...0–0 6.Bg5 a6 7.Qd2 Nbd7 8.Nh3 c5 9.d5 b5 10.cxb5 axb5 11. Bxb5 Ba6 12.0–0 Qa5 13.a4 Rfb8 14.Ra3 Nb6 0–1 (47), Lutz, C - Kasparov, G, Horgen, 1994. 6.Be3 c5 7.Nge2 e5 [I probably should have captured the pawn with 7...cxd4 and in the line 8.Nxd4 Ne5 9.Be2 0–0 10.Qd2 Bd7 11.0–0–0 Rc8 12.b3 a6 13.Kb1 Qc7 14.Bg5 Be6 15.g4 Nc6 16.Be3 Nd7 17.h4 Nxd4 18.Bxd4 Bxd4 19.Qxd4 b5 20.f4 bxc4 21.b4 f6 22.Rc1 Qb7³ Black stands better.] 8.d5 Nb6 I strategically decided to delay castling kingside as I have always preferred White's attacking chances in this position if the first player castles long. Black also preserves the option of castling queenside. [8...0–0 9.Qd2 Nh5 10.g4 Nf4 11.Nxf4 exf4 12.Bxf4 Ne5 13.Be2²] 9.Ng3 Diagram # 9...h5!= 10.Bd3 h4! Black is grabbing the initiative. 11.Nge2 Bd7 [Coming in for consideration was 11...Bh6 12.Bxh6 Rxh6 13.Qd2 Rh8 14.0–0–0 Bd7 15.g4 Qe7 16.g5 Nh5 17.Rhf1 0–0–0= and the position looks roughly equal.] 12.Qd2² Ng8!? Diagram # Protecting h6 again. 13.g4!? This is an interesting, and expected, move. I thought, however, that better for White was [13.Nb5 Bxb5 14.cxb5 Bh6 15.f4 Nf6= with rough equality.] 13...hxg3!³ Capturing e.p. gives Black the slight advantage. 14.Nxg3 Qh4! I liked this move and could feel that I had taken control of the game, the initiative squarely within my grasp. [A useful alternative was 14...Qf6!? and in the variation 15.Be2 Bh6 16.Bxh6 Nxh6 17.h4 Qf4 18.Qxf4 exf4 19.Nf1 Ng8!³ Black has the edge.] 15.Bg5!?

Diagram 2

The crticial position. I expected this move as one possibility from Pryce. I also pondered 15.Bf2 when I had planned either 15...Qf4, seeking to exchange the regal ladies, or 15...Qf6 retaining the advantage in either case. 15...Qxg3+!? Here goes! After thinking for about five minutes (!!?) I couldn't avoid this spectacular queen sacrifice which wins three pieces. I kept thinking of the great Latvian genius Mikhail Tal and his tale about the hippopotamus and also about his account of avoiding "cowardice" when he considered a sacrifice against Bent Larsen in their Candidates Match. I was a bit concerned, however, about Black's lack of development but was too lazy (and in too much of a rush to leave the venue) to consider the position fully after garnering the three pieces. Interestingly, my first thought was of [15...Bh6! which seems to lead to equal chances after 16.Bxh4 Bxd2+ 17.Kxd2 Rxh4 18.a4 a5 19.b3 Ne7 20.Nb5 Bxb5 21.axb5 Kd8 22.Ne2 Kd7 23.Ra3 f5 24.exf5 Nxf5 25.Bxf5+ gxf5 26.Rg1 Nc8 (26...Rxh2 27.Rg7+ Kd8 28.Rg8+ Kc7 29.Rxa8 Nxa8 30.Rxa5 Nb6³) 27.Rg2 Ne7„] 16.hxg3™ The shock of seeing the queen "sac" was evident on Pryce's young face. Nevertheless, the talented youngster spent about 15 minutes and then acknowledged that he had to take the offering. 16...Rxh1+ 17.Bf1 Of course, the only move. I was hoping for [17.Kf2 and was planning to play 17...Rxa1 although(17...Rh2+–+ wins the queen.) ] 17...Bh3! Black wins three pieces for the queen but a lot of chess is still to be played. Curiously Fritz has the position as equal. 18.0–0–0! Pryce finds his third consecutive only move. In truth, I was shocked by this move and totally missed it when I considered the queen sacrifice. Something tells me that Mikhail Tal, hippo, rhinoceros or not, would have thought of it! I had envisioned nabbing the rook on a1 as part of the bounty for the queen which would have clearly given Black a winning advantage. I smiled to myself and was proud of the youngster. 18...Rxf1!? In retrospect I think that the better capture was [18...Bxf1! when the second player continues to vindicate his sacrifice after 19.b3 Rh5! 20.Kb1 Bg2! 21.Qxg2 Rxg5 22.Nb5 Ke7 23.g4 Bh6 24.Qd2 a6 25.Qa5 Nd7„] 19.Rxf1 Bxf1³ Black is still slightly better with his material advantage. 20.b3! Protecting the pawn and simultaneously preventing the retreat of the bishop. 20...f6! [20...Bf6 21.Bxf6 Nxf6 22.Qh2 Ke7 23.a4 (23.Qf2? Bh3! 24.Qd2 Rh8 25.g4 Nbd7–+) 23...a6=] 21.Be3 Diagram # 21...Bh3!? [I considered for some time and should probably have gone in for 21...Bxc4! 22.bxc4 Nxc4 23.Qd3 Nxe3 24.Qxe3 Bh6 25.f4 Ne7 26.Kc2 a6 27.Qf3 exf4 28.gxf4 f5„ when Black should, at least, hold the position.; 21...Ne7 also merited serious thought.] 22.g4 The position is still on the edge for both players. [Also good for Pryce was 22.Nb5 Rd8 23.g4! Rd7 24.Qh2² with the advantage to White.] 22...f5? To save the bishop, Black begins to go wrong. More in the spirit of the position was [22...Ne7! improving the position of the pieces. 23.Qh2 Bf1! 24.Qh1 Nxc4 25.bxc4 Bxc4 26.Qh7 Kf7 27.Bh6 Rg8 28.a4 Kf8 29.Bxg7+ Rxg7 30.Qh8+ Ng8 31.Nb5 Bxb5 32.axb5 Rf7 33.Kc2 Re7² with a lot of fighting still to come.(33...f5!? 34.Qh4 Rf6 35.gxf5 gxf5 36.exf5 Kg7 37.f4 exf4 38.Qg5+ Kf7 39.Qxf4±) ] 23.gxf5!± White now has a growing advantage. 23...gxf5 [23...Ne7 24.Qh2! Bxf5 25.exf5 Nxf5 26.Ne4 Kf7± was more stubborn.] 24.Qh2+-

Diagram 3

Pryce is now totally dominant. 24...f4 25.Bxc5!? [Simpler was 25.Qxh3 fxe3 26.Nb5+- (26.Qe6++-) ] 25...Bd7? I was really worried about protecting the e6 real estate but [better was 25...dxc5 26.Qxh3 Nf6 although Black is lost after 27.Qe6+ Kf8 28.Qxe5 Re8 29.Qxf4+-] 26.Qh5+ [26.Bxd6 was stronger but it doesn't matter now.] 26...Kf8 27.Bxd6+ Ne7 28.Bxe5 Bxe5 29.Qxe5 Re8 30.Qxf4+ Kg7 31.e5 Rf8 32.Qg5+ Ng6 33.e6 Be8 34.Qg3 Rf4 35.Ne4 Kf8 36.d6 Kg7 37.c5 Interestingly, I observed that Pryce first wrote down the stronger 37.Nc5 but changed his mind and opted for the text-move which is still crushing. 37...Nd5 38.d7 Bxd7 39.exd7 Rf8 40.Qd6 Rd8 41.Qxd5 A fantastic performance by the future master who exploited my errors excellently. 1–0

 

 

 

 

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